Emma Willard alumnae concerned over new allegation of student-staffer relationship

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TROY — It's no secret that the Emma Willard School has been investigating old cases of sexual abuse and misconduct, but alumnae were surprised to learn this weekend of a student-faculty "relationship" that's alleged to have occurred as recently as 2015.

That allegation came from a document released Friday by Gina Maisto Smith and Leslie Gomez, child protection experts and attorneys with the firm Cozen O'Connor, who were hired by Emma Willard to investigate historical allegations of abuse at the all-girls boarding school in Troy.

The attorneys say that since releasing a 96-page report of their findings in April, they have received an anonymous tip alleging that a 2015 alumna and a female administrator at the school had "engaged in a consensual relationship" during the 2014-15 school year.

"We attempted to contact the 2015 alumna, but did not receive any response to our outreach," the attorneys say. "Consistent with our reporting protocol, this allegation was shared with law enforcement."

But alumnae, including at least one survivor of abuse, say they're dissatisfied with this latest revelation, claiming it raises more questions than it answers. The revelation was included in a five page addendum to the original April report. However, unlike the April report, the document released Friday does not include statements about what happened to the alleged perpetrator.

"Did they talk to this administrator? Does she still work there? That's the big question we want answers to, do they still work there?" said Kat Sullivan, whose inquiries last year into her own rape by a former teacher helped spur the Cozen O'Connor investigation.

Emma Willard spokeswoman Katie Coakley said Monday that the administrator in question is no longer employed by the school, but did not respond when asked when the person stopped working for the school and whether she was disciplined in any way.

School policy forbids student-faculty relationships, even if they do not violate New York's legal age of consent. A violation of the policy is grounds for dismissal.

The addendum report has inspired renewed calls from alumnae for an independent investigation into historical abuse at the school. The Cozen O'Connor firm was hired by Emma Willard, and therefore subject to attorney-client privilege and not truly capable of carrying out an independent investigation, advocates say.

In its April report, Cozen O'Connor detailed seven decades' worth of sexual abuse and misconduct by faculty at the school it discovered over a yearlong investigation. School officials pledged Monday to continue investigating allegations as they come to light.

"Emma Willard will continue to investigate any and all cases of abuse brought forward by any member of our community," the school said in a statement. "All previous reports of sexual abuse or misconduct at the school have been reported to the Troy Police Department, and any new information brought forward will also be reported."